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Someone has to be first. While 5G mobile networking mass adoption is years away and still lacks standards, communications giant Ericsson today announced the launch of its 5G platform. It's targeted to operators ready to take early steps with 5G and experiment with trial networks.

The 5G platform includes the 5G core system, radio and transport portfolios, support services, transformation services, and security. The 5G core system lets operators use 5G with network slicing, where they can provide virtual networks with specific functionality over a common network. Operators will be able use federated network slices to provide global network service without having to sign agreements with multiple regional operators, and use distributed cloud services to create short-latency tools like real-time facial recognition systems.

The coming 5G rollout will be crucial for high-bandwidth video services like virtual reality and augmented reality, Ericsson notes. By 2026, it predicts 5G will be a $582 billion market, letting operators grow revenues by 34 percent.

“With this launch, we introduce our 5G platform to support the beginning of a huge change in network capabilities, allowing our customers to offer more advanced use cases and new business models to their customers," says Arun Bansal, head of business unit network products for Ericsson. "It is an important milestone enabling operators to continue their evolution journey to 5G."